Cup holders for hot and cold beverages have thus far been fabricated by an annular ring of thin material that is wrapped around a cup. Both ends are then secured to construct a beverage sleeve. This sleeve provides a layer of insulation between the outer surface of the cup wall, and the hand of the user. Such a shape is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,497, hereby incorporated by reference.
Often, the insulation presented by the traditional cup holder is not sufficient to form a protective barrier between the user and the temperature of the beverage, which can be either hot or cold. This is because the cup holder does not have a handle.
An attempt to resolve the issue stated above is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,583, hereby incorporated by reference, which noted the inclusion of a handle onto a cup holder. The disposable beverage cup handle of U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,583 makes claims based on a differing design and purpose.
Additional examples of United State Patents granted to such inventions include those issued to: Munkachy U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,068; Herrmann U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,281; Leszczynski U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,310; and Miura U.S. Pat. No. D449961.
In addition to the problem of beverage temperature, disposable cup holders limit the quantity of beverages that can be carried in one hand. In this manner, the traditional cup holder restricts the user to carry only one cup per hand. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,788, hereby incorporated by reference, was an attempt to permit the carrying of two cups in one hand.
The manner in which a user is forced to carry a cup when using a cup holder obstructs the visibility of decoration that may appear on the surface, making it so that its communication value is greatly diminished.